U.S. Army Veteran Deported to Mexico From His Baldwin Park Home Returns to the U.S. 8 Years Later

Share this:

Fabian Rebolledo was deported to Mexico eight years ago from his home in Baldwin Park before returning to the U.S. on Sept. 19, 2018. Here, he's seen embracing his 18-year-old son, Derick Rebolledo, upon his return following a lengthy legal fight. (Credit: Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. Army Veteran Deported to Mexico From His Baldwin Park Home Returns to the U.S. 8 Years Later

Fabian Rebolledo was deported to Mexico eight years ago from his home in Baldwin Park before returning to the U.S. on Sept. 19, 2018. Here, he's seen embracing his 18-year-old son, Derick Rebolledo, upon his return following a lengthy legal fight. (Credit: Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

Eight years after immigration officials detained Fabian Rebolledo in his Baldwin Park home and deported him to Tijuana, the U.S. Army veteran has returned home.

Rebolledo crossed the border at San Ysidro on Wednesday morning, proudly wearing his Army uniform. It was the culmination of a years-long battle by the UC Irvine Immigrant Rights Clinic, which was able to reopen the case in December and regain his green-card status in August.

“It took a few weeks to make preparations, but he was able to cross through today, and he’s now in the U.S. and reunited with his family,” said Annie Lai, a professor and co-director of the immigration clinic.

Rebolledo was recruited into the military as a young man. He served at Ft. Bragg and in 1999 was deployed to Kosovo, where he was a peacekeeper who retrieved bodies of villagers killed by Serbian forces. Upon his return to California, his Kosovo experience began haunting him. He sought help for post-traumatic stress disorder and struggled with alcohol, leading to a series of DUI charges.